There have been so many times I have read something in my seminary lessons that has blessed my life, lifted my soul, and helped me to see the goodness of God ... over and over again.

I love being reminded of these spiritual truths and decided to put them somewhere to help me more easily find them again.  So I add them here To Remind Me!




Richard G. Scott:
"Don't look for a life virtually free from discomfort, pain, pressure, challenge, or grief, for those are the tools of a loving Father uses to stimulate our personal growth and understanding."




Orson F. Whitney:
"No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted.  It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility.   All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God .. and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven."




Video message: The Will of God

A Tender Mercy

To Remind Me:
I love this message from my seminary study last night and so want to remember it.
It's one more time when something speaks to me in a very personal way. Especially the last paragraph.  I didn't actually read my name in place of Abraham when I was studying it, but the feeling was the same as if I had, and quite intense.

moments full of you

I was doing some studying and found Can a husband and wife be together forever? on Mormon.org and decided to keep it where I could see it again.  This is my life!

Family relationships can last forever—not just for this life.

Just as some of life’s sweetest joys can come through family associations, the loss of a beloved family member can be a source of our deepest sorrows.

Jesus Christ gave power to His disciples to seal families together forever when He said, “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19).

Death does not need to be the end of our relationships with cherished loved ones. The Lord revealed to Joseph Smith that the “same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there [in eternity], only it will be coupled with eternal glory” (Doctrine and Covenants 130:2).

Family members who accept the Atonement of Jesus Christ and follow His example can be together forever through sacred ordinances performed in God’s holy temples. These ordinances seal a husband and wife together for all eternity and children to their parents as an eternal family. (See: “The Family: A Proclamation to the World”)



I found this on pinterest and decided to keep it too, since I find myself living it.  I constantly search for memories of Terry and wish he was here at my side, to hug and to hold.

Sometimes I feel lost without Terry, but I do know the direction I must go and will do my best to get there, however hard it may be.  "Endure to the end" is an enormous and necessary task at hand.   However hard, I know that the Lord is my strength and that He will send me peace as I do endure.  I know it ..., I feel it from time to time ..., often enough to carry me through ..., and I am grateful.

To Remind Me Notes from Choose Higher Ground

All quotes in this post come from the book Choose Higher Ground by Henry B. Eyring.
(Keep in mind that I did not read the complete book.  I wasn't feeling up to it at the time, but did read parts of it, including all of  the highlights.  I am transferring the notes I wrote on my page marker onto this post.)

highlight area on p115

"The thought 'Someday I will' can be a thief of the opportunities of time and the blessings of eternity." (p3)

"The spirit who led the rebellion in the world before still opposes the plan and wants you to be miserable.  He wants you never to find your way home again.  That enemy of your soul knows you and your goodness. He know that if he can turn you away from walking in the light, he can both capture you and stop you from helping others along the journey."  (p30)

"Because you are so valuable, some of your trials may be severe.  You need never be discouraged or afraid.  The way through difficulties has always been prepared for you, and you will find it if you exercise faith." (p33)

"By the Spirit of Christ and by the Holy Ghost, you may walk confidently in whatever difficulties come." (p33)

"The great test of life is to see whether we will hearken to and obey God's commands in the midst of the storms of life.  It is not to endure storms, but to choose the right while they rage." (p35)

"He will give us no test without preparing the way for us to pass it." (p64)

"The very opportunity for us to face adversity and affliction is part of the evidence of Their infinite love.  ...Then our spirits will be changed.  We will become able to want what God wants, to think as He thinks, and thus be prepared for the trust of an endless posterity to teach and to lead though tests to be raised up to qualify to live forever in eternal life." (96)

"...the disciple who accepts a trial as an invitation to grow and therefore qualify for eternal life can find peace in the midst of the struggle." (p97)

"The Lord always suits the relief to the person in need to best strengthen and purify him or her.  Often it will come in the inspiration to do what might seem especially hard for the person who needs help himself." (p99)

"He set a course for each of us that can polish and perfect us to be with Him." (p101)

"Trials are necessary for us to be shaped and made fit to receive that happiness that comes as we qualify for the greatest of all the gifts of God." (p115)

"The tests we face, their severity, their timing, and their duration will be unique for each of us.  Two things will be the same for all of us.  1. The tests at times will stretch us enough for us to feel the need for help beyond our own, and 2. God in His kindness and wisdom has made the power of deliverance available to us." (p115)

"Through His experience the Savior came to know all our grief.  He could have known them by the inspiration of the Spirit.  But He chose instead to know by experiencing them for Himself." (p117)

"We can determine to rise up and pray in great faith and humility." (p122)

"You can and must go forward with confidence.  If you start determined to qualify for God's power of deliverance in all the trials of mortality, you will succeed.  You will be strengthened.  You will be guided around and through barriers.  Help and comfort will come.  Your faith in Heavenly Father and the Savior will be increased.  You will be strengthened to resist evil.  And you will feel the gospel of Jesus Christ working in your life." (p123)

"Your experience in enduring well in the trials of life by drawing on God's power of deliverance can bring you the assurance you need to find peace in this life an confidence for the next." (p124)

"The power of the Holy Ghost is real.  It will come, again and again.  And one overriding truth it will always testify to us that Jesus is the Christ.  That testimony will draw us to the Savior and to accepting the help He offers to all who are being tested in the crucible of mortality." (p129)

"Let us do whatever is required to qualify for the Holy Ghost as our companion, and then let us go forward fearlessly so that we will be given powers to do whatever the Lord calls us to do." (p144)

"I urge all of us, young and old, who are called to speak in a meeting in the name of the Lord to dismiss our feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy.  We don't have to use soaring language or convey deep insights.  Simple words of testimony will do."  (p149)

"...give your best effort and your whole heart.  Do it cheerfully and with the prayer of faith.  Your efforts will be magnified in the lives of the people you serve." (p158)

"The Lord knew the trials we would face.  By faithful service and through His Atonement, we can come to want what He wants and be what we must be to bless those we serve for Him." (p166)

"If you are on the right path, it will always be uphill." (p237)

"Only a steady, ever increasing effort will allow the Lord to take us to higher ground."  (p244)

CLOUD AND SUNSHINE

First, the Fun Stuff -
BJo came home Wednesday night and was here until Sunday morning.  It was good to have her home.  We all needed it.

There is more that I must write, and you are welcome to continue reading, but feel free to get up and do something else at anytime during this post - it won't hurt my feelings ..., I promise I will never know. ;)
My reasons for writing it are personal and it is rather long, but please know that I am doing well. There is sunshine in my soul today.

Last week started as an emotional week for me.  I am having a hard time just doing the everyday tasks knowing that I can do them and that there is no worry about what Terry might need of me.  All of the things I thought I would do to keep me busy are difficult because they trigger such emotion.

I haven't done much yard work because it is screams at me, telling me that my husband is not here with me.  I don't go to activities because it screams at me that my husband is not here.  I still do most of my shopping online instead of going to town because when I go somewhere it screams at me that my husband is not here.
My pain comes from knowing that I have no husband to worry about at home or in the car or in the clinic or even beside me. I would much rather worry about my husband and be with him than without, so it is a hard tug on my heart.  Having someone else with me doesn't ease that pain and sometimes it even makes it harder.  I never really did anything with a "girlfriend" so doing so now is not a comfort, it screams at me that my husband is not here.  I'm a difficult case! (I suppose I always have been - one thing I have always known is that I am different in many ways.)

For many others, their pain stems from being home without their spouse, and though that is difficult too, I love being home where I can feel his love.  I know he is not here, but he is here more than he is elsewhere. (That probably only makes sense to me, and if I could use my words more appropriately I would be able to help others understand what I really mean.)  I have always loved being home so it's all good.

I have been working inside the house - causing much clutter and confusion, and it's been a good thing.  I am rearranging and sorting and purging things.   I am okay!  I'm Fine!   Really I am - I deleted all the previous posts this week just because I wanted to prove that I am fine and so that no one would know my "secrets" and sorrows, but I keep feeling that I should post them so that I can remind myself, so that I can let it out, and so that someone else who reads this someday might find it helpful.  I have read a few posts from others that I find helpful, so maybe I can pay it forward.

I think the beauty of spring time is part of my pain.  I see the daffodils and blossoms on the trees and it is joyful and beautiful.  I am still having a hard time allowing joyful times to permeate my soul because of the sadness that dwells there.  I'm not worried about it yet because past experience lets me know that this is normal and time will allow those joyful moments to surface and remain for longer periods of time.  This particular challenge will just take a little longer for me to get to that point.  So please forgive me if I do not attend something that is special to you, please forgive me if I have an emotional time during a conversation, and please bear with me as I work through this difficulty in my own way, even if you think I should be doing something different.

For now I will keep trying and take it one step at the time.  I'll continue trying to turn the stumbling blocks into stepping stones and make it safely down this straight and narrow path back to our Father and the loved ones who await our return.

We have been given so much to help us down that path.  The RS suggested reading for Week 4 has been a help for me, though each article brought more tears as I listened to or read them.  I wanted to post about a few of those, but as I mentioned earlier, I deleted them instead of publishing them.

Then yesterday as I was studying for my primary lesson I found something else and decided that I had better follow through and write a post - get the job done and hope it turns out better than I think.

In one of the resources I studied I found an invitation to read Habakkuk's prayer -

Habakkuk 3 contains a prayer, written in Hebrew poetry, in which Habakkuk bore testimony of the power and goodness of God and his own personal commitment to follow the Lord even in his people’s difficult times.

Habakkuk is a hard read, but it talks of trials and hardships and the strength that can come even with those difficult times.
18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

It reminds me of what I have known for many years:
19 The Lord God is my strength,

This invitation came with a challenge to  write your own brief statement that expresses your commitment to follow the Lord.   It helped me remember that I do most assuredly feel a commitment to follow the Lord. It is that commitment that helps me continue on each step of the way.

The RS messages for Week 4 had been a perfect prelude to my Sunday study - I know that my Savior lives and loves me.  I know that my Heavenly Father is there for me and that I must remain close to Him.

Communication with our Father in Heaven—including our prayers to Him and His inspiration to us—is necessary in order for us to weather the storms and trials of life.
(President Monson)


I know that I must

Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith.  
(President Monson)


I know that this promise applies to me -

“I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.” ⁶
(President Monson - I know this message was about a different topic, but this scripture still applies to me in my difficult times right now.)


Our Heavenly Father … knows that we learn and grow and become stronger as we face and survive the trials through which we must pass.

The difficulties which come to us present us with the real test of our ability to endure.

Our Heavenly Father, who gives us so much to delight in, also knows that we learn and grow and become stronger as we face and survive the trials through which we must pass. We know that there are times when we will experience heartbreaking sorrow, when we will grieve, and when we may be tested to our limits. However, such difficulties allow us to change for the better, to rebuild our lives in the way our Heavenly Father teaches us, and to become something different from what we were—better than we were, more understanding than we were, more empathetic than we were, with stronger testimonies than we had before.

This should be our purpose—to persevere and endure, yes, but also to become more spiritually refined as we make our way through sunshine and sorrow. Were it not for challenges to overcome and problems to solve, we would remain much as we are, with little or no progress toward our goal of eternal life. 

(President Monson)


One of my greatest desires is that the Lord Abide with Me.

As I was listening to this one (a couple days late) I glanced out the window, through tears, and saw the sky with cloud and sunshine and I knew that was another message meant just for me.  There will be times of both cloud and sunshine even at the same moment, but the good news is that the sunshine will break through the cloud if we let it and invite it..., Invite Him in!  

I didn't feel like taking a photo of the image I saw out the window so I borrowed this image from here

Okay, one more thing for this long post -
BJo and I were listening to a beautiful David Archuleta song, GLORIOUS.  She asked me something and because of the tears I could not respond.  So I left the music playing and visited with her.  It really was an emotional visit for both of us.  Different songs kept playing in the background as we talked, but we didn't pay much attention to them.  I was beginning to feel like I needed to control my emotions a bit more, but it seemed to be too hard.  I took a deep breath and then heard another song come on in the background.
It's The Hard Knock Life performed by Jenny Oaks Baker
That very instant the tears were overcome by laughter.  It wasn't easy to sense the laughter through the tears, but it was definitely laughter.  Funny thing is - that song and the movie it comes from (Annie) kind of irritate me, but for some strange reason it broke through my cloud and BJo and I were both laughing with each other instead of crying with each other.

I credit that change of heart to the Lord - He is watching over us at every moment and when we need Him most He will send the sunshine.  

Sorry for the lengthy post.  If I would just publish them as I write them, instead of deleting them and starting over I would have smaller posts that might be easier to read.  I am certainly in a learning process and sometimes it takes me several attempts to learn a simple principle.  Once again I ask for your forgiveness and understanding, and I wish for you today, sunshine in your soul.  Glorious Sunshine!

Our Weekend

We had a nice weekend!

Anthony, Connor, Chase and I went to Longview to see my parents.  It was a quick trip, but it was a good one (except for the part where we had to travel home in the rain in the dark for a couple hours - I don't see so well in those conditions and it makes me stress a bit more - so I was grateful to park the car and be home).

Our purpose for the trip was to get Anthony's patriarchal blessing.  My dad is a patriarch and has been able to give Chase, Connor, and Anthony their blessings.  BJo plans on it, but we have been unable to make that work as easily due to other obligations and responsibilities through the last couple years.  She is hoping to make it work on the 15th.

I planned on getting a photo of Anthony and my dad ...
How is it that I can think about that before and after we get there, but not while we are there?
I'll have to cheat and try to remember on our next trip.

I do have this photo from Connor's phone - taken at Stuffy's in Longview, where we had dinner - we love this food -

We did not know how much food that meal consisted of, but we know now.  That was just Chase's order.  He wasn't able to finish it.  Connor got the same thing in a different size, and he didn't finish his either.

My parents and Anthony and I got something different - we were all filled with yummy food. We really like the Stuff at Stuffys.


I have my camera ready now, so I can show you something else from this weekend visit -

My dad had been saving the posts about Terry's health that I published on our blog since our 2010 trip to Seattle for Terry's first transplant.  He had them printed and bound and presented me with this 300 page book while we were there.

So Awesome!  It was a surprise to me and I love it.  I have started reading through it and have enjoyed having it in chronological order and at my fingertips to flip through the pages and hold close at heart.  It can now sit on my shelf instead of having to get into the computer.  I love it!  (I think I already said that!)

I have re-read some of the quotes that I shared and I'm grateful that they are there to help strengthen me again.

One quote I shared on 25 April 2010 was from Elder Oaks, and is great to see today -

"Our families faith is in Jesus Christ and is not dependent on outcomes."

Wow!  Was that ever meant for us!   We must always remember that!  I took another look at the message that quote came from and as I re-read Elder Oaks talk I found some things that made my heart hurt and other things that made it grateful for such a faithful husband.

I had asked Terry a couple times the last couple months if he would like a new blessing and his response was always no.  The blessings he had previously been given were more than sufficient and he felt that if he kept getting blessings he would be lacking faith in what had already been given and even searching for a "better" blessing that would give the words we wanted to hear instead of accepting and trusting in what he already received.  We had to take what the Lord was sending us, and we had to do it in faith.  This quote used in Elder Oaks talk spoke of that -

“too frequent administrations may be an indication of lack of faith or of the ill one trying to pass the responsibility for faith development to the elders rather than self."

I really wasn't trying to pass the faith on to another, though I did always appreciate the faith of others added to ours.  I will admit that I was always wishing to hear that he would recover and live, but I also honestly just wanted him to feel some comfort and peace through all of this, and I always felt willing to accept the Lords will, but I wanted His will to be the same as mine.   Looking back now I think it must have been me - I was the one who needed the new blessing to give me some comfort and peace, because I know that Terry already had it.
I did get it one night after leaving Terry when he was in the hospital for those two and a half weeks in November, after hitting bottom so bad that I couldn't climb out on my own.  I am so grateful that I am a member of this true church and to have a righteous bishop with a selfless family who allow him to take time away from them to bless another with his priesthood authority, given him from God.   The priesthood is a wonderful blessing and worthy priesthood holders are valuable assets in our Heavenly Father's plan.  My husband was one of those assets.  My father is, and my 8 sons are.  I am grateful! In fact, when I think of the blessings I have received in my life, those given to me by my husband still stand as my most precious, no matter how wonderful the other blessings have been.  The Lord has blessed me!

There are a few more things I want to add from Elder Oaks talk.  I guess it's one of those days where I just keep going with my sermon.  ;)  It is beneficial to me, and I hope that others will appreciate it and learn from it too.  It is your choice to read the full post I write or not and I'm okay with what ever choice you make that way.

From Elder Oaks:

 "...the effect of the blessing is dependent upon faith and the Lord’s will..."

"...even the servants of the Lord, exercising His divine power in a circumstance where there is sufficient faith to be healed, cannot give a priesthood blessing that will cause a person to be healed if that healing is not the will of the Lord."

"We do all that we can for the healing of a loved one, and then we trust in the Lord for the outcome."

We certainly did all we could and that included trusting in the Lord for the outcome.  The outcome is really quite difficult, but my patriarchal blessing tells me that in the preexistence I had confidence in myself that I would meet the problems which would confront me here.  I find strength in knowing that, and that the Lord would have inspired the man who gave me my patriarchal blessing to include those words in it so that I could read them again and again to give me more strength and confidence in myself to travel through difficult times.

I think I have read our (mine and Terry's) patriarchal blessings probably 4 or 5 times now in the last couple months.  I keep wondering if I'll find something new - if it will "hit" me differently some time.
I guess it kinda did last night.  Along with the part in mine that I just shared, I found a couple paragraphs in Terry's that I read a bit differently than I had before.  I am appreciative of my new outlook on it and I am appreciative of the way Terry lived, so that he could realize those blessings, and so that I could witness them.

His spoke of his life being simply to prove to his Father in Heaven that he could keep His commandments and live according to the teachings of the gospel.  "That is the whole challenge!"  I know Terry did well with this, because of an experience I had one time that told me that Terry had passed his test and now it was my turn, (that story is included here) and because of the life I saw him live.

It also spoke of "the sweetest and most glorious moment of his life" -  going to the temple to be sealed for time and all eternity.  And, his blessing spoke of "...securing a companion who can go the whole course with you..."  That was me!  I did that!  I feel confident in the fact that I went the whole course with him, and I am still doing that!   I plan on being there for him when we meet again, no matter how many years that takes us.

There are more things I noticed and I'm sure there will be more another time I read them, but I am grateful for each little thing that comes each new day that helps lift and lighten my heart and soul.

I have re-read some of the experiences in the book my dad put together and I recall them all and am so grateful for every opportunity we had to be together and enjoy life like we did even during some not so pleasant experiences.  I have some awesome parents!  I love them!  I know they love me!

My dad ended the book with one addition from him and my mother -

"And so ends the Trial of Faith and Strength of one good man and leaves to a good woman a continued Trial of Faith and Strength."



Now with renewed faith and strength I'm going to keep on going so that one day I will be worthy of the blessings promised me and mine in every priesthood blessing given.

What an amazing Father in Heaven we have.  He has provided for us so many things that help us with every step of life.  I am grateful!

I am also grateful for my great support system.  Thank you ..., each and every one of you!

One of Those Days!

The doctors and nurses at SCCA always told us that the transplant days would become a new date to celebrate because of the new life extended for the patient.

We didn't ever get that new life - there was nothing concerning Terry's health changed for the better that we could see, and we never did celebrate either transplant date.  Those two days were just another day on the calendar to us.  In all honesty, for me they actually became days of disappointment knowing that the transplant didn't work, and I try to forget them.

However, every year, for several years now, at the beginning of each year, I go through my new planner and write in the birthdays and celebration of each family member.  I had done this for 2015 in November 2014, but I was looking through my planner Sunday morning circling the dates so I would see them more easily so as not to forget (I have forgotten lately and I hate that feeling - my mind is still not clear as it should be).  

As I did I obviously noticed the celebrations of our anniversary in Feb, and Terry's bday in July, and then came to December and of course remembered that the 10th would be the first anniversary of Terry's passing away.

Thoughts started flowing through my mind and I wondered if I should write anything on the calendar to mark that date or just leave it.  I know I won't forget it, but do I really want to remember or celebrate it?   I had an interesting feeling that I did want to remember it, for in one way it truly is the day that we had been praying for.  

It didn't come in a way we had hoped, but it did come.  Terry has been given that new life - one that is free from suffering and pain.  His cancer is gone ..., and that is what we had prayed for.

I don't know if I will celebrate the day, but I will celebrate the life ..., his life and his life with me and with our children/including their spouses and grandchildren.

I miss him, but I'm sure it will be a good year for him ..., maybe his best ever, at least concerning health issues.   We will see how I feel come December 10th and how we treat that day, but for now I am trying to count my blessings and be grateful for the joys of life that do still exist (though they are harder to enjoy without my husband at my side ....  just sayin'!).

I'm keeping busy and trying to make this new life of mine something that will be better and better as time goes on.  One thing that is ever present is the fact that I love Terry and miss him, but also ever present is the fact that the Savior is with me and helping me through it all.  I am so amazed at the almost tangent feeling that is present in my heart and mind and soul, lifting me and helping me through every part of my days and night.  I am grateful for His love for me and I know He is aware of my every need and will help me and my family through anything else that comes our way.  I also want to add that I know that Terry loves me and that he is just as anxious to be at my side as I am to be with him.

At this time in my life I know more than ever that I must trust in the Lord with all my heart because I do not know how to do it on my own.  In reality, I guess I do know that I cannot do it on my own.

Proverbs 3: 5

• Old Testament

5¶ Trust in the Lord with all thine heart ; and lean not unto thine own understanding . 

It is not possible for me to remain strong and true and steadfast on my own - it is faith in Jesus Christ and trusting Him that has helped me through every trial and disappointment and frustration in my life, and it is that same (but hopefully stronger) faith in Jesus Christ that will help me through this challenge in my life.

I was reading a message given by Ardeth G. Kapp in 2004, titled Pray Not for Light Burdens but for Strong Backs where I found this quote that seemed to speak to me today.  Sister Kapp said;

The writings of Orson F. Whitney help us understand the need for adversity:

No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God. . . . And it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we came here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven. [Quoted in Spencer W. Kimball, Tragedy or Destiny,Brigham Young University Speeches of the Year (6 December 1955), 6]

This is true.  Imagine what we would be if we did not strive with all our might and strength and put our faith and trust in the Lord.  It isn't hard to see what we must do.

In that same message by Sister Kapp, she testified of something that I too can testify of.  Using her words, but adding my witness ...,

I can testify from my own experience in life, that some of our heaviest burdens, disappointments, and heartaches can in time be replaced with “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding” (Phillipians 4:7) while “we wait upon the Lord” (Isaiah 40:31).

I have re-read (many times) the talk I gave at Stake Conference in 2009 I titled Thank You for Waiting.   More than ever before I am grateful for that opportunity to speak on that subject because returning often to that message has helped me remember to wait patiently on the Lord, and that waiting implies something more than just sitting around waiting for something to just happen.

“to wait = to remain true to Him, to remain strongly attached while staying put or still until something expected happens.”


I do expect something to happen.  Among those things that I expect are these -
I expect the Lord to fill my heart with joy and love and help me through the rest of my life without my husband at my side in his mortal form.
I expect to find joy and love with my family and friends while still on earth in our mortal form.
I expect to live my life so that I can return to my Heavenly Father and my Savior, Jesus Christ and to see and live with my husband forever after this mortal life, in greater joy and happiness than I have ever or will ever know on this mortal journey.
I expect the Lord to lift my soul, and even my physical body at times when I am not strong enough to carry on in my own strength.
I expect the Lord to help each member of my family with each individual need and righteous desire that is theirs, and mine for them.

I expect these things and more, because I know that the Lord has promised them to me if I do my part, and I promise to do my part so that I may partake of those promised blessings.  I know He loves me, and that is enough to help me continue on.  I know I am not perfect, which means that I will falter, but I know that He will help me do my part. Isn't that wonderful?  IT IS WONDERFUL TO ME! 

We are never really alone when we invite the Lord into our lives.


---


I just finished this post, stopping right above those three little lines just above this sentence, when I learned of some heart breaking news that took me from this post and into a deep concern that I could not stand or bear on my own.  It took me to my knees and I spoke out loud to the Lord about it through a raging storm of emotion and tears.  It has been several days since I have felt that low and it is a place I don't like to be.  However, I truly can testify that no matter how low we are, no matter how challenging the hardship or trial, our Savior IS here.

This trial is not over by any means.  This part of it is just beginning, but I will rely on the Lord and He will help me.  With His help we will come out of this stronger and better for it!


I don't know why I felt I should write this, maybe just to remind myself or to give myself strength to carry on.  Sometimes speaking out loud and writing our thoughts helps us overcome and gives us courage and strength that we need.  Maybe that is why I'm sharing it.  Maybe it is to remind me (and anyone else who might need to remember) that hard things do happen to us and can and will at any given moment, but we can prevail.  Maybe I share it because it's good to share the "bad" that happens so that others don't always think that life is easy because we always share only the "good".  Life is so ... real!

I wondered if I should just click on publish without this addition, but do feel the need to add it, so I'm following through.   However, I hope it doesn't affect anyone adversely nor send extra concern toward me.  I do not need extra attention ..., honestly, I am fine!   I FEEL MY SAVIORS LOVE!


I have enjoyed this quote for years now and love to look at the different images associated with it.  Life is Good.   (I used some of these fun images in an earlier  post I titled Did You Know.  I wonder why I haven't a pinterest board dedicated to these images?  Hmmm!  Thinking ....  I do now!)

image from here

Here is a little more about a good life -

image from here

I'm in a mood I guess, and just can't stop ..., so here is a saying I found and posted a year ago (here) -

image here

Life is good when we know where to turn.  And I do know where to turn.

Now one more scripture I feel like adding:

3 Nephi 9:14

14 Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.  

So now I'm going to get up and keep going ...
because I must and I can ...
I feel rejuvenated ..., maybe that is why I finished this post ..., it's my pep talk ..., to myself.

Glory shall follow After much tribulation

Glory shall follow After much tribulation

I noticed a copy of this on my fridge this morning.  On the morning of December 12th Anthony brought this to me to read.  He had been reading the D&C and this touched his heart and he felt like sharing it with me.  I had him make a copy of it to place where I could view it often.  It is a great reminder.

After much tribulation come the blessings.  I hope to be ready for and worthy of those blessings.



This was first published at  http://waitingpatientlyonthelord.blogspot.com/2015/01/glory-shall-follow-after-much.html

to be proved and tested

Remember that you are here to be proved and tested, “to see if [you] will do all things whatsoever the Lord [your] God shall command [you]” (Abraham 3:25)—and may I just add, “under all circumstances.” 

When these trials come..., try to force a smile, gaze heavenward, and say, "I understand, Lord.  I know what this is.  A time to prove myself, isn't it?"  Then partner with Him to endure well to the end.

Spiritual confidence increases when you accept that

"Often trials and tribulations are allowed to come into [your life] because of what [you] are doing right." 

full article here

This was first published at  http://waitingpatientlyonthelord.blogspot.com/2014/12/to-be-proved-and-tested.html

Hope

A second tender mercy in the same day.  This came as I was reading PMG in preparation to writing to my missionary son.  It was the first thing I read and then the last, because my heart received the message it needed.

"Hope is an abiding trust that the Lord will fulfill His promises to you.  It is manifest in confidence, optimism, enthusiasm, and patient perseverance.  It is believing and expecting that something will occur.  When you have hope, you work through trials and difficulties with the confidence and assurance that all things will work together for your good.  Hope helps you conquer discouragement." (Preach My Gospel p117)


I love Hope! I believe that paragraph ... I know it is true!  I am grateful for a loving Father in Heaven and Savior, Jesus Christ.  I feel blessed! 

There are many things in life that can discourage us and indeed there have been in my life lately, and they have hit me hard lately, but I must remember to HOPE for better days ahead and remember that it will most likely "turn out better than I think".  (see also here)

This was first published at  http://waitingpatientlyonthelord.blogspot.com/2014/08/hope.html